Too Much Television

Updated on November 14, 2012

There is no escape. You are in my control.

I have found that television can either brainwash or enlighten my family. Our boys can be inquisitive about what is on TV, or Zombies, completely mindless to what is going on around them. I could say the name of my boys over and over in a mild tone and they wouldn't even budge their acknowledgement. It wouldn't be until I used their full christian name that they might become more interested in living another day rather than risking their mother's wrath.

Over a period of two days my husband, John, and I tried to keep our children from watching TV. It was almost impossible. Matthew, our three year old son at the time, drove John and me to the point of wanting to admit ourselves to the hospital, just for some peace and quiet. Matthew was completely discontent without "Rollie Polie Olie," "Blues Clues," or any of his "Scooby Doo" movies.

Michael, our six year old at the time, was fine with his toys and his imagination for about two hours at a time. TV affects Michael in the worst way. He is a completely unaware of anything when sitting in front of the television. No one else exists. It could even be described as hypnotic. He can't do school work or use his imagination, or play as a six-year-old should. Instead he wants to watch his TV shows, or movies. He can't even tie his shoes when he watching Sesame Street, or Aladin, his favorite Disney movie.

It doesn't seem like much time goes by when you watch TV, but I realize that my family easily spends at the minimum of six hours a day in front of the television. We might as well have roots growing under us because now that we have the remote control, there isn't any way we would even get up to manually go over and change the channel.

We all have our favorite channels. The channels John likes to watch are, the History Channel, Discovery, and OPB. Michael likes channel five (Fox Kids), and Nickelodeon. Matthew likes Nickelodeon, and Disney channels.

As for me, I like the computer. If I am not doing homework, it's e-mail, or surfing to find any piece of information I want. Sometimes I even present myself with a topic and challenge myself to find out all I can via online methods. I can tap into libraries, magazines and newspaper archives, as well as documentaries listed on web pages. There are even a lot of museums that will make a small presentation over a subject like the history of the rocking chair just to get an attraction for other things people can see if they visit them.

I agree that the TV can ruin a family. The progression has helped take families through an era of innocence and ignorance to an era of inquiring curiosity, and wisdom. But I think without TV our country could probably just have been somewhat stagnant. We wouldn't have progressed as far as we have without the information that has been given. Information would never have spread so rapidly. And I don't think we would have all the capabilities, possibilities, and opportunities we have today with out the amazing television.

There is a lot of junk on the TV. There is a lot of nonsense that doesn't need to be watched, but on the other hand, there is a lot of information too.

Television can be a benefit, but can also be a nightmare. There is such a thing as too much television, but if we can stop ourselves and realize when we have had too much TV, then we are better able to control it's usage.